1Sept. 30, 2009

c o m p a s sVol. XLIV No. 2 September 30, 2009

‘ c a u s e s o m e t i m e s y o u j u s t n e e d a l i t t l e d i r e c t i o n

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Wha t does the fu tu re ho ld fo r GSC?

Tired of thesame oldstudy space?PAGE 6

Laker T. Gooseturns 21.Let’s celebrate!PAGE 8

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E d I t O r L a u r e n B l a i sA S S I S t A n t E d I t O r B e n W h i t eC O p y E d I t O r d a v e A y e r sV I S u A L M E d I A E d I t O r B r a n d e n L e f t y

S E C t I O n E d I t O r Sn E W S B r i g i t t e A u t r a nC A M p u S L I f E L i z M c K i n n o nA r t S & E n t E r t A I n M E n t r a c h e l r e e dS p O r t S n i c k W i l l i a m s

S t A f fM a r t i n B i l l i g , J o r d a n C r a w f o r d , L i s a C r o n e , A l e x d o n n e l l y , A l e x G r e e n , J a c o b H i c k m a n , J a r v i s J o h n s o n , A n t h o n y K i n g , E m i l y p e r r y , G i n a p r i v e t t , d a n i e l l e V o s s , A u d r e y W i l l i a m s , M i k e W i l l i a m s

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3Sept. 30, 2009 n e w sn e w s

Jarvis JohnsonStaff924186934@gsc.edu

GSC will be expanding with a new academic build-ing in fall 2011. Academic Building IV will be a “five-story building [of] ap-proximately 100,000 square feet,” said Paul Glaser, vice president for business and finance.

“Start to finish it will take 20 months to build. If that holds true it will be complete in the summer of 2011, and ready to occupy in the fall,” said Glaser. “We could start building as early as Novem-ber.”

The new building will give

faculty and students nearly double the space they have now. “There are 42 class-rooms on our campus now, this building will have 38,” said Glaser.

The building will also include 80-90 new offices. Faculty members are re-lieved to know that they will have more breathing room in the forthcoming build-ing. “We just need the sheer space,” said Jeff Marker, head of media studies.

“We are so stretched,” said Anita Turlington, assistant professor and coordinator for English. “Right now it is very difficult to find space for all of the classes we need to offer because we have so

many more students than we expected,” said Turlington.

General studies major Cameron Spath is concerned with the cost of the building, rather than its features. “A building of this magnitude cannot be cheap,” he said.

GSC has budgeted “$2.4 million for architectural design, $31.2 million for the construction, and $3.9 mil-lion for all of the furnishing,” said Glaser.

With the annual increase in student population at GSC and a blueprint for the large new building, more four-year programs are bound to be offered.

“I would like to see more four-year programs here at

GSC,” said Maurice Morri-son, engineer-ing major.

Several de-partments have already taken the necessary steps to develop four-year pro-grams.

“I am work-ing on a four-year program in English; we’re planning to submit letters of intent for English, his-tory, math and biology,” said Turlington. “We could po-tentially be offering a dozen

four year degrees by next year.”

“We are planning it and proposing it, but it will depend on whether the administration on this campus and at the state level thinks that it would be a worthwhile program,” said Marker

While more four-year pro-grams are in the works, GSC will not be compet-

ing with the University of

Acad. IV will double number of classrooms

SpecialThe $37.5 million Academic Building IV, expected to be completed and ready for classes by fall 2011, will allow GSC to offer more four-year degree programs.

ACAd IVToTAL CoST:

$37.5 mil l ion

$2.4 for design$31.2 to bui ld$3.9 to furnish

CLASSroomS:38

offICES:80-90

oPEn for CLASS:fal l 2011

GSC able to hire despite budget woesLisa Crone Staff924196190@gsc.edu and Madeline DaleStaff924216911@gsc.edu

It’s easy to see the growth that has taken place at GSC, but it doesn’t stop with the students. Thirty-three new full-time faculty members have been added as a

measure to prepare for the new year’s increased enrollment.

“Normally we would never hire this many, but about a third of the new staff were from previously failed searches,” said Dr. Marya Leatherwood, vice president of academic affairs.

GSC does not directly hire em-ployees; candidates are selected by search committees comprised of faculty and staff, said Julia Hewell,

human resources assistant. The school advertises for new employ-ees, goes over policies, and makes sure to give out the correct human resources paperwork.

The school hired faculty in a timely manner “depending on what they needed and how vital their role was,” said Debbie Krewson, assistant to the director of public relations/marketing.

There is an orientation that

faculty members are required to attend as well as further teach-ing workshops that are offered throughout the year.

“Orientation starts at the begin-ning of the year and consists of one day during the teachers’ first week,” said Chaudron Gille, director of the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Leadership. “During this orienta-tion day teachers are given general information concerning adminis-

see “Acad. IV,” page 4

see “new faculty,” page 4

4 Sept. 30, 2009n e w sn e w s

Alejandro Ramirez Staff924163395@gsc.edu

GSC has put in place an innovative notification system that looks to increase safety during emergencies.

The Laker Alert system notifies registered faculty and students via text mes-sage or e-mail about the possibility of danger.

“We’re hoping the system will not have to be used that often because if it’s used, it means that there is a real threat,” said Justin Ward, administrative computer support specialist. “Right now the system is set up so that I could send alerts, but it’s really up to security to make those calls.”

The executive council met Sept. 16 to decide which alerts to put in place and what chain of command to follow.

“They make decisions about it, I’m the one that has to make it work,” said Ward. “The level of severity and immediacy will determine what messages will be sent, and when the school is going

to be closed.”The system allows stu-

dents to receive alerts for either or both of the GSC campuses.

The staff in charge of the alert system must be selective as to which messages to post, how much information is posted, and who receives it.

“We have other means of communica-tion for things that are not so important. If we started sending alerts for everything people [would] stop paying attention to them,” said Richard Goodson, GSC chief of police. “We want to create 10 to 12 pre-written messages, and work with those generic templates for the differ-ent emergencies that could occur. The messages will include the proper path of action to take for the specific situation.”

The system will also con-tain other components to keep everyone on the same page during an emergency.

Goodman said that he was working with Sloan Jones, the director of media and public relations, to get post-ers put around campus that will tell students what to do when certain emergencies

occur.According to Bonnie

Jones, the procurement coordinator, “There is no limit as to the amount of people from the college who can sign up. The system costs $1.80 per person, and we went ahead and prepaid $4,000.”

Only 1,200 people have

registered to receive alerts so far, but around 10 percent of those who registered have not validated their accounts, and will not receive emer-gency notifications until they do so.

“The entire process takes less than three minutes,” said Ward.

Registering for the Laker Alert is free. Students can also register emergency contacts and family members who don’t necessarily attend GSC.

“The idea to put an emergency alert system came to us af-ter the Virginia Tech incident. It became very apparent that we, and every college,

were vulnerable and needed to come up with an alarm system,” said Paul Glaser, vice president for business and finance.

The company through which the alert system is set up is Omnilert, which is also the vendor of choice for hundreds of colleges across the nation, including GSC’s

neighbor Lanier Tech.“Initially we looked at

three systems, and Omnilert seemed the most user-friendly, and also the easiest to set up at our campus.

“[Chief] Goodson and I receive emergency alerts from the county. It would then be our job to post them whenever pertinent,” said Glaser. “Every building has a building manager that would notify us of an internal emergency.”

In order to prevent panic or confusion, the alert system discriminates who needs to be alerted relative to the specific emergencies.

“It could save you a 45-minute drive if the school closes down due to inclem-ent weather. Plus you’re more likely to have your cell phone with you than to be sitting at a computer check-ing your e-mail,” said John Paul Slava, a GSC student.

“They didn’t have any-thing like it at my high school, and I think is a good idea to have an alert that lets you know about school clos-ings and emergencies,” said freshman Cassie Cope.

GSC activates new campus alert system

HoW To SIGn uP for LAkEr ALErT

1) Vis i t www.gsc.edu/lakeralert

2) Provide the phone number or e-mail address at which you wish to be contacted

when there is an emergency

3) fol low the directions for veri fying your phone number

or e-mail address

Georgia or Georgia State University any time soon.

“I do not see GSC becoming a four-year institute, that’s not our purpose,” Glaser said. “Our purpose is to offer more four-year courses of study.”

“We would love to see it happen, but ultimately it’s not going to be our decision,” Marker said.

In the meantime, future journal-ism and media studies majors can look forward to other new develop-ments.

“There’s a big room where me-dia studies students will be able to screen films,” Turlington said.

The undying Mac vs. PC debate will continue with technology up-grades in the new building.

“Part of the plan… is a lab with

20 computers that can be booted as a Mac or PC, so there is no limit to which editing software can be used,” Marker said.

Glaser said that there will be eight computer labs in total.

Many students don’t seem that excited about the building. This may be because they don’t expect to see it before they graduate or trans-fer.

“I guess it will be cool, I won’t be here anyway,” said sophomore Trent Barrington.

“I had no idea about this new building,” said Becky Carter, general studies major.

But the faculty are looking for-ward to more amenities.

“I’m hoping for a coffee cart my-self,” Turlington said.

Faculty members are also paired with a mentor teacher, a profession-al in the specific department that the new teacher is hired in.

“It’s been wonderful. Very positive and upbeat,” said Regina Meeler, who joined the staff in August. “My supervisor has really helped a lot and my mentor teacher is just wonderful.”

Faculty are also required to take part in an eLearning program.

“They participate in this program like students would in a classroom,” Gille said.

The program consists of a book that teachers read and discuss biweekly. It is an opportunity for teachers to get advice on teaching and their different philosophies as well as post questions they have in a forum.

“I’ve been participating in the eL-earning program,” Meeler said. “We

work together as faculty throughout the year and talk about what works in the classroom. It also helps us to get to know the other faculty mem-bers and bond as a group.”

Though these hirees have helped with the continued enrollment increases, more faculty and staff are needed and there is a great reliance on the existing part-time faculty to make up for the gaps. Budget cuts have made things difficult.

“There has been a request for the state allocation, money that is granted to the college, to be given back, meaning the state has de-creased the income,” Leatherwood said. Twelve percent of last year’s allocation was requested back, and this year’s may be even more. Fur-lough days were also introduced to save money by making faculty and staff take three days off this semes-ter without pay.

Acad. IV continued from page 3 new faculty continued from page 3

check us out onl ine at gscCompass.com

5Sept. 30, 2009 c a m p u s l i f e

Emily PerryStaff924114389@gsc.edu

Give Reed Timmer a video cam-era, an armored car and a supercell (most severe thunderstorm), and you’ve got one of America’s most extreme storm chasers.

“We live for being within 200 yards of a tornado,” Timmer said. “Our first priority is getting high-defi-nition video of the rotation.”

Timmer, GSC Colloquium Se-ries’ first speaker, shared details of his work as a scientist with an audience of more than 150 students, faculty and com-munity members in the Continuing Education/Per-forming Arts Cen-ter Auditorium.

The Collo-quium Commit-tee uses input from faculty and students, includ-ing the Campus Activity Board, to determine who will speak in their annual series.

Since 2008 Timmer has been featured on the Discovery Channel’s “Storm Chasers,” and video he has captured has also been shown on CNN, Fox News ant The Weather Channel, amongst others.

GSC student Katie Crane said she has been a fan of Timmer’s show for the past two seasons and wanted to see him in person. She summed up the experience, “Awesome.”

Highlighting the presentation were several video clips of torna-does taken from field work Timmer has done over the years.

It was clear that the power and destruction tornadoes are capable of affected the audience. Many expressed dismay as a brick home was seen lifted from its foundation and torn apart.

When the damage is done, Tim-mer is known to drop everything

and help with disaster response. He and the other members of his team are all certified in CPR.

Timmer’s crew is outfitted with an armored car, the Storm Research Vehicle known as “The Dominator.”

Photos of the SRV revealed it is packed with high-definition camera equipment, a 300-pound Tornado Probe, Global Positioning System,

mobile Internet and a Close-Range Vertical Radar mounted to the roof, all designed to gather informa-tion.

Timmer said that before GPS and mobile Inter-net were widely available they had to rely on paper maps that were often blown away during storms.

Video and graphics were used to demonstrate the benefit of these recent technical updates; Timmer can use weather service radar to locate rotation of storms and pin-point where hail is falling and he can upload live, streaming video

as warning to those who may be in harm’s way.

He follows storms based upon ra-dar information on rotation, but as Timmer pointed out, that does not necessarily mean there is a tornado.

The reason he puts himself in harm’s way is to relay confirmation of tornadoes to the National Weath-er Service.

After Timmer’s presentation, a line of autograph seekers formed.

Even elementary school children skipped class to see their favorite storm chaser. “Awesome,” was all eight-year-old Dalton Smith could say.

A brief question and answer session ended when an audience member asked what it is like to be inside a tornado. “The power is in-sane. Noise is deafening…I’m pretty happy when it’s over,” Timmer said.

“We l ive for being within 200 yards of a tornado.”

-reed Timmer, star of

discovery Channel’s “Storm Chasers”

“Storm Chaser” star visits Budding meteorolo-gist Taylor Worthington, daughter of GSC stu-dent Cristy Worthington, receives an autograph from Timmer.

photos by Dave Ayers

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6 Sept. 30, 2009c a m p u s l i f e

Alex DonnellyStaff924182981@gsc.edu

Next summer’s GSC students have the opportunity to study abroad in beautiful Belize, Costa Rica, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Russia or Spain. The only requirement is that the student be in good standing.  

Generally, 80-180 students or more attend the London and Paris trips. Other Study Abroad sites have approximately 15-35 students, but it “varies with the site,” said Brad Strickland, English professor, who often leads Study Abroad trips.

College credit is offered for courses taken during the trip, and it is recommended that students take two.

Students may apply their HOPE scholarship toward the Study Abroad program, but it only covers tuition. Financial aid requirements include a current year FAFSA and Loan Entrance Counseling and a Master Promissory Note for those consider-ing a student loan. The college also tries to support students who want

to study abroad by offering “GSC-on-the-Go Scholarships [that range] from $300-$500,” said University Center Coordinator Christy Orr, in an e-mail.

For those interested in signing up, Orr recommends stopping by the Study Abroad Office or getting an ap-plication through the Study Abroad Web site. After the application is completed, a deposit is due in the Business Affairs Office. Finally, the completed application and a copy of the deposit receipt must be returned to the Study Abroad Office, located in the Dunlap-Mathis Building.

Faculty from schools across Georgia that are a part of the University System of Georgia may develop a trip and complete a GSC-on-the-Go trip proposal. If the proposal is approved, the trip will be advertised to students. Johanna Rickman, a GSC Oconee history professor, will be a group leader this summer in Bonn, Germany.

The program’s goal is to help students learn by experiencing a new culture. “The ultimate goal is an experiential learning opportunity…” said Orr, “to make the subject matter come to life for students in a way

that is not possible in a classroom in Georgia and to give students an international experience.”

It is hopeful that the Study Abroad students will become “more aware of the world” around them and gain “first-hand knowledge of different

cultures and international scene,” Strickland said.

For more information stop by Strickland’s office in Academic II or visit the Web site at www.gsc.edu/academics/study-abroad.

Where in the world will you go?Liz McKinnon

A five-week trip to Ireland is just one of the Study Abroad programs offered this Summer.

SummEr 2010STudy AbroAdoPPorTunITIES

Two weeks or less:

bel ize, may 8 – 15$1650

Italy, may 14 – 23$2693

Costa ricamay 22 – June 3

$2,250

Air fare, meals and activi-t ies included in costs. Tui t ion may be extra. The deadline for al l applications is march 1.

four weeks or more:

St. Petersburg, russiamay 28 – June 26$4,100 Waterford, I reland June 17 – July 23$4,700London, EnglandJune 17 – July 23$5,350bonn, GermanyJune 23 – July 28$5,000 Paris, france July 1 – Aug. 5$5,795madrid, SpainJuly 1 – Aug. 6$5,200

GSC’s Study Abroad Program can expand your world

7Sept. 30, 2009 c a m p u s l i f e

Brigitte Autran News Editor              924187226@gsc.edu

The Co-Curricular Transcript program offered here at GSC is a way for students to have evidence of their activities outside of the classroom.

“The CCT program is an official document that records verifiable student activities and is a valuable instrument for the students that can be given to future employers, transfer institutions, scholarship committees, et cetera,” said Nancy Mattson, administrative assistant in the Office of Student Life.

Mattson said that the CCT gives credibility to a student’s college experience’s outside the classroom.

“Along with the academic transcript, it provides a more complete view of the student’s experiences and development while enrolled at Gainesville State College,” she said.

The CCT Program is designed to recognize student accomplishment in areas including critical thinking development, community service, cultural/fine arts enrichments, volunteer service to the college, honorary societies, health and physical development, leadership development and social/interpersonal development.

Your membership in any registered GSC student organization will also be applied to your CCT.

“Credit for organization membership and leadership is given at the end of each semester, as club advisers turn in lists of members and officers,”

said Mattson. Participation in programs, publications, intramurals or community service projects can also be applied.

To receive credit for attending an educational or cultural event, fill out a CCT card. If there are none at the event, students may pick one up in the Office of Student Life.

Faculty and staff may also pick up CCT cards to distribute at their event. Once it is over, the cards are turned in to the Office of Student Life to be processed.

“They will receive a count of students who attended the event as well as a summary of the qualitative and quantitative data provided by students who answer the assessment questions on each card,” said Mattson.  “Students attending will also receive an entry on their CCTs to indicate they attended an educational or cultural event.”

Mattson also said that the CCT encourages the development of a well-rounded college student. It may even increase participation in clubs and events.

Students can find a copy of their CCT on Banner-Web, or through the Office of Student Life.

“Students can obtain an unofficial copy and use it to refresh their memory as they write their resume or complete applications,” she said. “It can be helpful to be reminded of everything they’ve done at GSC.”

  The program is coordinated by GSC’s Office of Student Life. “It supports our mission: to offer educational, cultural and developmental experiences,” Mattson said.

Martin BilligStaff924191114@gsc.edu

GSC’s Latino Student Association mem-bers are from Puerto Rico, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic and Peru, among other countries. They meet at noon every Wednes-day in the Student Center. The goal of the club is to promote diversity as a strength rather than division, while promoting Latino culture.

Stephanie Martin, the club’s president, refers to it as “a family outside of school” and the meetings as “a stress-free hour.”

Martin, of Puerto Rican descent, leads the club in many different activities ranging from team-building exercises and cultural learn-ing games to community service.

LSA is open to all stu-dents, Hispanic or not, and they encourage everyone to get involved.

“The meetings are in Spanglish,” Martin said, which allows students who join to learn about new cultures and may even help in their Spanish classes.

The students all get involved and share ideas with one another. Each meeting has 45 to 60 members and starts off with the stu-dents introducing themselves, then discuss-ing what they like about LSA.

“I enjoy seeing how diverse we are, even though we are all Hispanic,” said Andrea Camacho, of Colombian descent.

What makes the club fun is the friend-

ships students form.“I enjoy seeing all of us going to college to

make a better life for ourselves,” said Jessica Picazo, of Mexican descent.

“There are a lot of people from Latina America and this gives us something to bring us together,” said Carlos Penado, from El Salvador.

Not only does LSA help students meet new people and gain self-esteem, it is also

beneficial to the school and the community. The club works with the Junior Achievement program and helps tutor English to Spanish-speaking people.0

“The club has helped me become a team mem-ber and learn leadership,” Martin said. “Here you are not alone” and “there are always opportunities,” Vice President “Manee” More-no, from Mexico, said. Moreno and Martin are very accessible and allow

other students to have their voices be heard. The club has well-organized meetings and

very strong leadership, starting at the top with advisers Silvia Rodríguez and Guiller-mo Rodríguez. It is a mix of fun and learn-ing which gives students a place to be at ease on campus.

If you’re interested in learning about new cultures, improving your Spanish or just looking to meet new people, then LSA may be an interesting opportunity for you. For more information you can search for “LSA” on the GSC website or you can attend a Wednesday meeting in the Student Center.

Get credit while having fun at GSC

LSA: strength through diversity

uPComInG LSA EVEnTS:

no fear:

Hispanics with AIdSoct. 14

Annual black & White Gala

oct. 24

Great Lat ino debatenov. 16

Martin Billig

LSA leaders: Stephanie Martin, president; Silvia Rodríguez, club adviser; and “Ma-nee” Moreno, vice president

8 Sept. 30, 2009c a m p u s l i f e

Jordan CrawfordStaff924195852@gsc.edu

Of all the geese soaring over GSC, we have chosen one as our favor-ite. Laker T. Goose, GSC’s official mascot, has been here since summer 2007.

You can always find Laker wel-coming the new freshman to GSC during the Weeks of Welcome and SOAR events. He loves to participate in all the activities.

“Laker hopes to continue at GSC, bringing goodwill and the spirit of the goose with him wherever he goes,” said Cara Ray, director of student life and orientation.

Laker will turn 21 this fall, ac-cording to his Tranguid (where students can check their status and grades), so watch for announce-ments about a birthday celebration.

What does he do in his spare time? He goes to GSC club and orga-nization meetings, spends time at his pond, conveniently located midway between the two campuses in Wind-er, and talks to his GSC friends!  He is currently looking forward to at-tending the intramural sports events.

Does he have a girlfriend? Al-though his Facebook status says “Single,” there is speculation that he has a lady goose friend named Lot-tie.

Laker has a busy, exciting life, but if your student club or organization is attending a confer-ence or other event, you can take Laker with you. The Office of Student Life has travel-sized Lakers available for taking pictures of him at your conference.

Ray traced the creation of the Fight-ing Geese, and short-ly thereafter Laker, back to a t-shirt design.

“A few years ago, students had laughingly sug-gested making a ‘Fighting Goose’ t-shirt for the Weeks of Welcome, since the campus at that time was overrun with geese,” she said. “The shirts were unexpectedly popular and the idea of the Fighting Geese became our unofficial mascot.”

But there were so many design variations of the new mascot that Martha T. Nesbitt, president of GSC, decided a standard was needed. Ray and the then-director of student life at Oconee chaired a committee and

Laker came to be.“It remains to this day

one of the things I am most proud of, in terms of my job here at GSC,” said Ray.

When Laker is not busy being our school mascot he updates his Facebook page. He would love to be your Facebook friend, but the best way to conact him is by e-mail: lgoose@gsc.edu.

Laker the fightin’ Goose turns 21

you’re not wrong, just Politically IncorrectDanielle VossStaff924216771@gsc.edu

Tell ‘em how you really feel… at the Politically Incorrect club.

The PI club provides an informal place for students to get together, talk about controversial issues and practice freedom of speech.

In addition they actively encour-age registration and voting through-out the student body.

The club was introduced to GSC students when the founder and faculty adviser, Professor Douglas Young, came to teach at GSC in 1999.

“The Politically Incorrect club was first originated in 1987 at Gordon College, where I previously taught,”

Young explains. “It was first called the Democrat/Republican club, when a few years later, a student sug-gested the change to me.

“We decided the Politically Incor-rect club was better suited because we have a much wider variety of stu-dents than Democrats and Republi-cans, and speak of any controversial points of interest.”

PI Club membership is booming. Young said 22 people showed up for the second meeting this year, a record.

Not only does the club offer a forum for discussion, it also hosts politicians and third-party speakers such as sheriffs, veterans and con-gressmen. They take trips to various places of interest quite often. They have also won several awards and

debates. How does the PI Club differ from

the Debate Club? “Our topics don’t have a right or

wrong answer,” he said. “It’s non-confrontational and we respect every point of view. We can learn more by keeping an open mind and getting involved, being unbiased and flex-ible. Do this and you’ll learn more, not just about the world, but about yourself.”

The laid-back atmosphere appeals to many students who may have been apprehensive to join a more competitive club. Club President Cristy Worthington found the club on the Web site.

“I was immediately drawn to the club and could not wait until the first meeting,” Worthington said.

“After the first meeting I knew I had selected the right club to join.”

Worthington encourages inter-ested students to join, even if they’re not political junkies.

If the Politically Incorrect club sparks your interest, drop by a meet-ing and check it out. The club meets at noon every Monday in Meeting Room 4 of the Student Center.

“Each meeting I walk out with a new outlook, a new concern, and I always learn something new. It is a great avenue to stay in touch with current events and enjoy stimulat-ing conversations with your peers,” Worthington said. “Depending on the topics discussed I may listen or speak, either way, I enjoy each Politi-cally Incorrect meeting.”

fun fACTS AbouT LAkEr

favori te movie: “fly Away Home”

favori te band: The Eagles, but he also loves flock of Seagulls

favori te food: bread crumbs

BBOC (Big Bird on Campus) Laker pours out his soul to intrepid reporter Jordan Crawford.

Merrill Morris

9Sept. 30, 2009

Liz McKinnonCampus Life Editor924167751@gsc.edu

and Alex DonnellyStaff924182981@gsc.edu

Compass: Are you married?Smith: Yes I am. And I have two

twin daughters, Zoe and Drew at Chestatee.

Compass: How long did it take you to get your de-grees?

Smith: It took me, all in all, about five years and one summer.

Compass: Did you always know you wanted to teach?

Smith: No. I wanted to be the next big director, like most aspiring film students. Sev-eral people told me I had a way with be-ing able to teach something and ex-plain it.

Compass: Where did you begin teaching media studies?

Smith: I starting teaching at the University of Arkansas, Little Rock. I taught there for two years. I taught theater lighting. The biggest head-ache, however, was the assessment committee. They didn’t seem to be there to help the students and that bothered me.

Compass: What do you like the

most about GSC?Smith: I like the class sizes. They

cap off at 28 students and it is more student oriented and centered around them and their future.

Compass: What classes do you teach here at GSC?

Smith: I teach Production I, Pro-duction II, and Post-Production. Production I is the hands-on basic fundamentals of film. Production II is the next level up. Post-Production is more focused on making digi-

tal videos, and bringing every-thing together. I also teach a 2903 class that is more focused on the individual person and their needs.

Compass: Do you recommend that interested freshmen take your classes as early as possible?

Smith: Yes. It is a sequential class.

Production I is offered in the fall and then Production II is in the spring, and so forth and so on. You would, literally, have to wait a year in order to retake anything if not longer, de-pending on the class.

Compass: In all honesty, what was the best film you saw this summer?

Smith: “Julie and Julia” is the first one that comes to mind.

Compass: Is there a particular rea-son why?

Smith: Meryl Streep is an amazing

actress who can play two completely different roles and play them beauti-fully. When it comes to DVD I will use it as an example in one of my classes.

Compass: What was the worst

movie this summer that you saw?Smith: “Land of the Lost” was the

worst, by far. Compass: What is your all time fa-

vorite movie?Smith: “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

c a m p u s l i f e

Teacher Feature: David Smith, film prof.

David Smith teaches several courses in film studies and production.

“I wanted to be the next big director, l ike most aspir ing

f i lm students. Several people told

me I had a way with being able to teach something and explain i t .”

Branden Lefty

Your opinion matters.

Tell us about it at

compass@gsc.edu.

10 Sept. 30, 2009

Mike WilliamsStaff924198432@gsc.edu

If you’ve ever met Dave Reesman, your life is better for it; if you’ve never had the pleasure, find the time.

Reesman is a GSC student who enrolls in physical education classes and touches the lives of all his classmates. But there is definitely some-thing special about him. Reesman will be 83 years old in February. Reesman started at GSC in 2000 after retiring from the egg industry, but this is not the first time he has been in a college classroom. Reesman graduated from the University of California in 1950. “I originally came to GSC to increase my knowledge of computers,” Reesman said, “so I took a keyboarding class, but then I got to think-ing about physically conditioning myself.” He then began taking a golf class, but decided to take another route instead: “I don’t want to be hit-ting golf balls with a bunch of old guys. I would rather be hanging out with the students in the swim class.” Reesman is one of the most inspiring people you will ever meet. He doesn’t just go to school for himself, he does it to inspire others to live their lives to the fullest. “Being almost 83, my time is running out now and I see time as being one of the most valuable things I have left.” His professor, Lillian Welch, said that Rees-man expresses interest in the students’ lives and encourages them to succeed. “I tell them how important it is to utilize their time properly and to have fun but still make sure that they are setting goals.”

At the end of each semester he stands up and gives a very moving speech to his classmates and presents them with a group picture. “I could be with my peer group right now on the golf course,” he says to his classmates,”but I would rather be here with you, achieving my physical goals and the peace of mind that you bring me in giving me hope and making me feel younger.” At the end of every year, under Welch’s pres-sure, he enters into the swim meet to set a good example. And with family and friends in atten-

dance cheering him on, Reesman always seems to pull through. “I’m the only one in my 80-and-up category, so I always end up winning the blue ribbon.” In addition to his current accomplishments, Re-esman also served in WWII. It takes tremendous courage for a man, at the age of 83, to get out of bed and make his way down to the swimming pool on a daily basis. So, if you get a chance, make your way to the swim meets this year and cheer on Dave Reesman, the ageless wonder.

s p o r t s

never too old to swim for gold

Dave Reesman is a GSC student who enrolls in physical education classes. He goes to school not only to live life to the fullest, but also to inspire others to do the same.

SorbA: off the road for biking funNick WilliamsSports Editor924199696@gsc.edu

Want to get away from it all? Need a break from your everyday worries? Look no further than GSC’s chapter of the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association.

SORBA is the official mountain biking club here at GSC. While they are affiliated with SORBA, a not-for-profit mountain biking organization in the southeast region of the U.S., GSC SORBA is a club exclusive to this campus with elected student of-ficers and a faculty adviser.

This year Collier Cato will be the new club ad-viser.

“I am very excited,” Cato said. “When mountain biking began catching on as a sport some 20 years ago I began riding trails, and I never went back to

road bikes.”SORBA bikers explore the many miles of trails

that wind around behind GSC’s Plant Operations Building, and frequent-ly ride on the Chicopee Woods Trail System.

The first meeting will be at 3:00 p.m., Oct. 24 in Meeting Room 1 of the Student Center.

Cato said the most prominent event coming up at the college is the Tumbling Creek Mountain Bike Rumble, a six-hour endurance race which also takes place on Oct. 24, on the GSC trails. “This event draws not only talent from the southeast, but prominent mountain bikers from across the coun-try.”

Bike riding is not the only thing SORBA is about. They have a charity event called Trips for

Kids as well. “Trips for Kids chapters combine lessons in

personal responsibility, achievement and environ-mental awareness.”

The group meets at 4:30 p.m. every Thurs-day. “We can always use student volunteers,” Cato said.

He also has big plans for the future of the orga-nization:

“One of the goals that I see for the future of mountain biking at the college is to develop a race team that represents the college and the campus chapter and will compete locally.”

Your student activities fee covers all fees for GSC students in SORBA. They even provide bikes for those who need them, so there’s no reason not to enjoy the fun of mountain biking.

Ben White

Want to join GSC Sorba?

Get more info at:www.francisdj.com/sorba

11Sept. 30, 2009

In these difficult econom-ic times, not everyone has the 20 bucks to shell out for a Friday trip to the movies, snacks included.

Luckily for GSC students, Film Club has taken care of that.

“When Film Club first started, a part of the mission was film education through screenings,” said David Smith, faculty advisor to Film Club. To honor their mission, Film Club has hosted Friday Movies since 2006.

Friday Movies “gives [stu-dents] an opportunity to see films they may not necessar-

ily have an opportunity to see in class or on their own,” Smith went on to explain. Friday Movies is meant to “broaden horizons,” adds David Hulbert, president of Film Club.

Members of Film Club choose films through vote, with a focus on introduc-ing a new world of films to GSC students, often showing avant-garde films, foreign films, cult favorites or films you may have just missed.

The setting is as authentic as possible. The lights go off, the projector screen comes down and thus begins the feature presentation.

Although it isn’t your lo-cal theater, Film Club doesn’t skimp on Friday Movies.

Film Club’s annual al-lowance funds it, so Friday Movies comes complete with snacks: pizza, soda and sometimes even popcorn, at no cost to attendees. Film Club also awards co-curric-ular credit for showing up to Friday Movies, if the con-cept of free everything isn’t enough to lure you in.

As Film Club continues to complete their mission through Friday Movies, GSC students can benefit by sim-ply showing up and sitting down. The cash you keep in your pocket won’t hurt, ei-ther.

Film Club movie showings happen in Room 169 Aca-demic II each Friday at noon for the rest of the semester.

Audrey WilliamsStaff924211578@gsc.edu

If you haven’t heard about Chris Cauley yet, open your ears. Cauley, a former GSC student, is on the rise with his mu-sical talent fueling his career.

Cauley, a writer, singer and musician, returned to GSC on Wednesday to perform songs from his self-titled EP. Along with his origi-nal music, he threw in some familiar hits from John Legend, The Temp-tations, Michael Jackson and Alicia Keys. His music is a blend of soul and R&B, fused with acoustic guitar that he plays himself.

The Campus Activi-ties Board first brought Cauley to perform in 2004. He started per-forming here after he’d approached Brenda Ad-ams, adviser to CAB, with his CD. “He’d been a student here the year before, in 2003,” said Adams. “He sent me his CD, the CAB group voted on him, and we’ve loved him

e v e r since.” His popu-

larity has brought him back to GSC every year since.

“The student body has always enjoyed having him…the fact that he is a former student speaks very well for our stu-dents,” said Adams. The surveys that CAB passed out at the event confirm her belief; they’ve all come back with com-ments that his career is an inspiration to GSC’s students.

Although Cauley has moved on from GSC to bigger projects, he still has a humbled attitude. When asked about the s u c -cess

he’s had, with a raspy chuckle he replied: “I think you’re giving me a little too much credit as far as the success goes.” Although he doesn’t think he’s had too much success or reached his big break yet, he does have some great com-pany on his way up.

“It’s really cool and rewarding to go from sitting in class…to the Tyler Perry camp and working with those guys. I got to be in Lon-don with Justin Timber-

lake. That was really cool.”

He doesn’t believe that he’ll be stop-

ping anytime soon, so be on the lookout for

GSC’s own Chris Cauley.

Audrey WilliamsStaff924211578@gsc.edu

a r t s & e n t e r t a i n m e n t

former student’s music career on the rise

uPComInG fILmS

The Adventures of ford fair lane – 09/18

fr iday night L ights – 09/25

fun with dick and Jane – 10/02

Grandma’s boy – 10/09

The Great debaters – 10/16(possible co-sponsor with debate Club)

nightmare on Elmstreet – 10/23

Serenity – 10/30

Shoot ‘em up – 11/06

Superhero movie – 11/13

Three musketeers (1993) – 11/20

Showings take place from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in Academic I I room 169

Low on bucks for movies?Try the friday film Club

Audrey Williams

12 Sept. 30, 2009

D i s t r a c t i o n or n e c e s s i t y ?

o p i n i o n s

When I graduated high school the only thing I could think about was moving out and getting my own lap-top. The media constantly associates laptops and college. Students have deemed it necessary, if not crucial, to own a laptop while attending school.

On any day of the week you can find a majority of GSC students crouched in a corner, on a bench, seated on the floor or at a table bur-ied into their laptops, sometimes plugged into their media via some obnoxiously neon version of the lat-est headphones.

In class the spiral-bound notebook may as well be obsolete, replaced by walls of titanium or black plastic with various brand insignias that are more like accessories than computers. It’s like having a shirt from Wal-Mart or one from Abercrombie back in high school. Who paid the most for the same thing?

When I ventured over to the Oconee campus last winter to check out the red and black side of things, I began toting my prized laptop around the campus, opening it in every class, color coding my notes using every feature on my word processor avail-able to glamorize my learning expe-rience.

While this method seemed to prove effective for a few weeks, my curiosity soon took over. When my attention span waned in my 8 a.m. art history class, that little Internet browser icon shined devilishly and seemed to have a magnetic attrac-tion to my cursor. A new web page opened a world of possibility. Or a world of unnecessary (and detrimen-tal, as I later found out on my next test) distractions.

I figured I could open up my work e-mail, just to make sure nobody needed an immediate response at 8 a.m. A Victoria’s Secret e-mail blast in my inbox boasted new products and hot deals. While most of my subcon-scious warned against opening this e-mail, the materialistic and downright shallow part of me jumped at the op-portunity. The e-mail guided me to the website, which led to some on-

line shopping, which reminded me of a new song I meant to download, which made me want to post the lyr-ics on Facebook which. … Sound fa-miliar?

After a few weeks of temptation to surf, comment, up- and download and not take notes, I abstained from opening my computer during class. I haven’t seen the need to use it in class since. Though this took some-self-motivation, it led me to wonder: What is everyone else doing while they apply their technology to class?

Are those of us who chose to take notes electronically actually getting the most out of the lectures? Our en-tire entertainment world is essential-ly at our fingertips. Do we really ig-nore this and note that our education is more important than, say, Twitter?

Lorraine Buchbinder, history pro-fessor, accepts the use of personal laptops during class. “If a student [uses his or her laptop] during my class for the correct purposes, I’m for it,” said Buchbinder.

But do we? Do we reap the edu-cational benefits of technology? Are we trying to convince ourselves that since media tell us that we’re sup-posed to move forward with technol-ogy (i.e., Apple’s nonchalant, effort-less cool marketing campaign that conveys non-existence in the new, ever-changing tech world unless you update yearly)? And the only way to be successful and styl-ish simultaneously is, ultimate-ly, to own the latest notebook, and we can’t succeed or fit in without bringing our laptops to class? Is it just that we’d like to surround ourselves with enter-tainment, despite the fact that our studies are our top priority as college students?

Like many other faculty at GSC, Buchbinder will strongly advise against her students us-ing technology in class if that privilege is abused. “If I catch a kid on Facebook, that’s when it is a no-no.”

Despite any heeded warn-ings from professors, students will use their laptops as a means to learn. Whether or not they choose to cross the thin line be-

tween internet surfing, status updat-ing or online shopping and organiz-ing notes, glaring at the bright screen could come across as impolite. GSC student Tamika Tomlinson believes that “it’s rude when [students get on their laptops during class] because the teacher is trying to teach and [the student] is in their own world.”

I can personally attest to the dis-traction. In class I can’t help but no-tice the quiet constant ticking sound of other students’ fingertips pecking away at their keyboards. When the incessant ticking stops in the middle of lecture, then proceeds after a se-ries of scrutiny – pause – pondering face – laugh and click combinations, I’m inclined to wonder: what could they possibly be scrutinizing during lecture? Though compelling and in-formative, the lecture and the notes it produces require no such snickering.

In each GSC course, depending on the number of students per class and the material taught, student laptop use varies, but increases each year. GSC student and staff Brittany Riley admits about 60 percent of students in her courses use their laptops dur-ing class.

Some students, while they own a laptop, will admit that there is no legitimate point in bringing them to class. “Honestly, I use [my laptop] for Facebook. I can’t utilize it for notes

because I can’t type as fast as the pro-fessor talks,” states GSC student Tim-othy Patrick. When asked if he even opens the laptop up for class, Patrick admitted that he “wouldn’t pay atten-tion, I’d fail all of my classes.”

It is the case that students lug around their computers for that brief, indulgent escape from reality between classes. Understandable as it may be, the question that remains is this: can students ignore the temp-tation to surf, download, tweet and poke if they’re using their “college es-sential” during class?

If you, as a college student, feel re-sponsible enough for your own work and can recognize the consequenc-es of mindless activities while you should be studying, ask yourself, “Do I need to use my laptop while sitting in class?” Ask, “Am I being distracted in the slightest? Do I really learn bet-ter with the help of technology, or is it the exciting notion of freedom that I gained when I got this laptop?”

Don’t let the experience of college pass you by with only a long list of downloaded music, thousands of games played or an overabundance of picture comments sent. Distin-guish and draw the line between the convenience and speed of new tech-nology and the toxic vacuum of the virtual world.

Rachel ReedArts & Entertainment Editor924204920@gsc.edu

Laptops on campus:

Rachel Reed

Brittany Riley listens to music and visits GSC’s Web site during a break between classes.